Department of Civil Service

Privacy Policy

Introduction

Thank you for visiting the Department of Civil Service
web site. This web site is designed to make it easier and more efficient
for individuals to interact with the Department of Civil Service. The Department
of Civil Service recognizes that it is critical individuals be confident
that their privacy is protected when they visit the Department of Civil
Service's web site.

Consistent with the provisions of the Internet Security
and Privacy Act, the Freedom of Information Law, and the Personal Privacy
Protection Law, this policy describes the Department of Civil Service's
privacy practices regarding information collected from users of
this web site. This policy describes what information is collected and how
that information is used. Because this privacy policy only applies to this
web site, you should examine the privacy policy of any web site, including
other state agency web sites, that you access using this web site.

For purposes of this policy,"personal information"
means any information concerning a natural person which, because
of name, number, symbol, mark, or other identifier, can be used to identify
that natural person. The Department of Civil Service does not collect
any personal information about you unless you provide that information voluntarily
by sending an e-mail, responding to a survey, or completing an on-line transaction.

Information Collected Automatically When You Visit this Web site

When visiting this web site the Department of Civil Service
automatically collects and stores the following information about your visit:

User client hostname. The hostname or Internet Protocol
address of the user requesting access to a state agency
web site.

HTTP header, "user agent." The user
agent information includes the type of browser, its version, and the
operating system on which that the browser is running.

HTTP header, "referrer." The referrer specifies the
web page from which the user accessed the current web page.

System date. The date and time of the user's request.

Full request. The exact request the user made.

Status. The status code the server returned to the user.

Content length. The content length, in bytes, of any document
sent to the user.

Method. The request method used.

Universal Resource Identifier (URI). The location of a resource
on the server.

Query string of the URI. Anything after the question mark in a
URI.

Protocol. The transport protocol and the version used.

None of the foregoing information is deemed to constitute personal
information.

The information that is collected automatically is used
to improve this web site's content and to help the Department of Civil Service
understand how users are interacting with the web site. This information
is collected for statistical analysis, to determine what information is
of most and least interest to our users, and to improve the utility
of the material available on the web site. The information is not collected
for commercial marketing purposes and the Department of Civil Service is
not authorized to sell or otherwise disclose the information collected from
the web site for commercial marketing purposes.

Cookies

Cookies are simple text files stored on your web browser to provide a means
of distinguishing among users of this web site. The use of cookies
is a standard practice among Internet web sites. To better serve you, we
occasionally use "session cookies" to enhance or customize your
visit to this web site. Session cookies can be created automatically on
the device you use to access this state agency web site do not
contain personal information and do not compromise your privacy
or security. We may use the cookie feature to store a randomly generated
identifying tag on the device you use to access this web site. A session
cookie is erased during operation of your browser or when your browser is
closed.

To use certain services we provide on this web site, you
will need to "log in." The login process helps us ensure it is
you, and only you, who are conducting business at our site. We use cookies
to indicate that you have logged in successfully, and how long it has been
since you were actively requesting pages from our site. While this cookie
uniquely identifies you, it does not contain any information that would
be considered personal information or useful beyond the context of this
web site.

The software and hardware you use to access the web site
allows you to refuse new cookies or delete existing cookies. Refusing or
deleting these cookies will limit your ability to take advantage of some
features of this web site. For example, you will not be able to apply for
Civil Service examinations without enabling cookies.

Information Collected When You E-mail this Web site or Initiate an On-line Transaction
Through this Web site

During your visit to this web site, you may send an e-mail
to the Department of Civil Service. Your e-mail address and the contents
of your message will be collected. The information collected is not limited
to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information
formats included in the message. Your e-mail address and the information
included in your message will be used to respond to you, to address issues
you identify, to improve this web site, or to forward your message to another
State agency for appropriate action. Your e-mail address is not collected
for commercial purposes and the Department of Civil Service is not authorized
to sell or otherwise disclose your e-mail address for commercial purposes.

During your visit to this web site you may complete a transaction
such as a survey, registration, or order form. The information, including
personal information, volunteered by you in completing the transaction
is used by the Department of Civil Service to operate Department of Civil
Service programs, which include the provision of goods, services, and information.
The information collected by the Department of Civil Service may be disclosed
by the Department of Civil Service for those purposes that may be reasonably
ascertained from the nature and terms of the transaction in which the information
was submitted.

To use certain portions of our site, you will be required
to "log in." To obtain a login ID, you will be required to provide
us with certain personal information that will help us conduct
business with you. You are never required to share personal information
with us; however, in order to use certain portions of our site and conduct
certain business transactions, you will need to provide us such information
voluntarily.

The Department uses credit card processing companies to bill users for examination fee services. Personal information, including credit card numbers, is shared with these entities in order to complete the transaction. These entities are not permitted to use the personal information for any other purposes.

From time to time, the Department of Civil Service allows
its web site visitors to participate in surveys. Unless the web page containing
the survey explicitly says otherwise, your answers to these surveys are
anonymous, and sent to us with no identifying information whatsoever.

The Department of Civil Service does not knowingly collect
personal information from children or create profiles of children
through this web site. Users are cautioned, however, that the collection
of personal information submitted in an e-mail will be treated
as though it was submitted by an adult, and may, unless exempted from access
by federal or State law, be subject to public access. The Agency strongly
encourages parents and teachers to be involved in children's Internet activities
and to provide guidance whenever children are asked to provide personal
information on-line.

Information and Choice

As noted above, the Department of Civil Service does not
collect any personal information about you unless you provide that information
voluntarily by sending an e-mail, responding to a survey, or completing
an on-line form. You may choose not to send us an e-mail, respond to a survey,
or complete an on-line form. While your choice not to participate in these
activities may limit your ability to receive specific services or products
through this web site, it will not normally have an impact on your ability
to take advantage of other features of the web site, including browsing
or downloading information.

Disclosure of Information Collected Through This Web site

The collection of information through this web site and
the disclosure of that information are subject to the provisions of the
Internet Security and Privacy Act. The Department of Civil Service will
only collect personal information through this web site or disclose personal
information collected through this web site if the user has consented to
the collection or disclosure of such personal information. The voluntary
disclosure of personal information to the Department of Civil Service by
the user, whether solicited or unsolicited, constitutes consent to the collection
and disclosure of the information by the Department of Civil Service. The
Department affirms that the information will be used only for the purposes
for which the user disclosed the information to the Department of Civil
Service, as was reasonably ascertainable from the nature and terms of the
disclosure.

However, the Department of Civil Service may collect or
disclose personal information without consent if the collection or disclosure
is:

necessary to perform the statutory duties of the Department of Civil
Service, or necessary for the Department of Civil Service to operate a program
authorized by law, or authorized by state or federal statute or regulation;

made pursuant to a court order or by law;

for the purpose of validating the identity of the user; or

of information to be used solely for statistical
purposes that is in a form that cannot be used to identify any particular
person.

Further, the disclosure of information, including personal
information, collected through this web site is subject to the provisions
of the Freedom of Information Law and the Personal Privacy Protection Law.

The Department of Civil Service may disclose personal
information to federal or state law enforcement authorities to enforce
its rights against unauthorized access or attempted unauthorized access
to the Department of Civil Service's information technology assets.

Retention of Information Collected Through this Web site

The information collected through this web site is retained
by the Department of Civil Service in accordance with the records retention
and disposition requirements of the New York State Arts & Cultural Affairs
Law. Information on the requirements of the Arts & Cultural Affairs Law
may be found at http://www.archives.nysed.gov/records/mr_laws_acal5705.shtml.
Information, including personal information, that you submit in an
e-mail or when you complete a survey, registration form, or order form is retained
in accordance with the records retention and disposition schedule established
for the records of the program unit to which you submitted the information.
Information concerning these record retention and disposition schedules may
be obtained through the Internet privacy policy contact listed in this policy.

Access to and Correction of Personal Information Collected Through this
Web site

Any user may submit a request to the Department of Civil
Service privacy compliance officer to determine whether personal information
pertaining to that user has been collected through this web site. Any such
request shall be made in writing and must be accompanied by reasonable proof
of identity of the user. Reasonable proof of identity may include verification
of a signature, inclusion of an identifier generally known only to the user,
or similar appropriate identification. The address of the privacy compliance
officer is:

The privacy compliance officer shall, within five (5) business
days of the receipt of a proper request, provide access to the personal
information; deny access in writing, explaining the reasons therefore; or
acknowledge the receipt of the request in writing, stating the approximate
date when the request will be granted or denied, which date shall not be
more than thirty (30) days from the date of the acknowledgment.

In the event that the Department of Civil Service has collected
personal information pertaining to a user through the
state agency web site and that information is to be provided to the user
pursuant to the user's request, the privacy compliance officer
shall inform the user of his or her right to request that the personal
information be amended or corrected under the procedures set forth
in section 95 of the Public Officers Law.

Confidentiality and Integrity of Personal Information Collected Through
this Web site

The Department of Civil Service is strongly committed to
protecting personal information collected through this web site against
unauthorized access, use or disclosure. Consequently, the Department of
Civil Service limits employee access to personal information collected through
this web site to only those employees who need access to the information
in the performance of their official duties. Employees who have access to
this information follow appropriate procedures in connection with any disclosures
of personal information.

In addition, the Department of Civil Service has implemented
procedures to safeguard the integrity of its information technology assets,
including, but not limited to, authentication, monitoring, auditing, and
encryption. These security procedures have been integrated into the design,
implementation, and day-to-day operations of this web site as part of our
continuing commitment to the security of electronic content as well as the
electronic transmission of information.

For web site security purposes and to maintain the availability
of the web site for all users, the Agency employs software to monitor traffic
to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise
damage this web site.

Information Disclaimer

Information provided on this web site is intended to allow the public immediate access to public information. While all attempts are made to provide accurate, current, and reliable information, Department of Civil Service recognizes the possibility of human and/or mechanical error. Therefore, Department of Civil Service, its employees, officers and agents make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, currency, or suitability of the information provided by this web site, and deny any expressed or implied warranty as to the same.

Links Disclaimer

In order to provide visitors with certain information, this web site provides links to local, State and federal government agencies, and web sites of other organizations. A link does not constitute an endorsement of the content, viewpoint, accuracy, opinions, policies, products, services, or accessibility of that web site. Once you link to another web site from this web site, including one maintained by the State, you are subject to the terms and conditions of that web site, including, but not limited to, its privacy policy.

Privacy Policy Disclaimer

The information provided in this privacy policy should not be construed
as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof,
the security of information provided through this web site.

Notice: This computer system is the property of the NYS Department of Civil Service (DCS)
and is solely for uses authorized by DCS. Your privacy rights are covered by the Department’s Privacy Policy.
All information and activity on the system may be monitored. Any unauthorized use of the system may result in
disciplinary action, civil and/or criminal penalties. Your use of the system constitutes express consent to
the above terms and conditions.